Military Bowl 2021: East Carolina vs. Boston College

The East Carolina Pirates and the Boston College Eagles will meet in the 2021 Military Bowl. According to BetMGM’s NCAAF odds, the Eagles are favorites by a field goal.

Will Boston College cover the spread? What are some other bets you can make in the Military Bowl? Here are some of my top picks.

Military Bowl Game Information

Before we talk about the game, here’s a look at the date, time, and location of this bowl game:

• Date: Monday, Dec. 27th
• Time: 2:30 P.M. EST
• Venue: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD
• Participants: East Carolina and Boston College

Boston College -3

Boston College is 4-2 against the spread as favorites and 3-1 ATS against non-conference opponents.

East Carolina has an excellent record ATS at 7-4-1, but that record drops to 1-2-1 in non-conference games.

I do not think Boston College’s defense is a good matchup for East Carolina. Boston College has the 33rd-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing just 22.17 points per game.

East Carolina has had three notable games against defenses that rank higher. These include matchups against Appalachian State on Sept. 2nd, Houston on Oct. 23rd, and Cincinnati on Nov. 26th. They scored just 56 total points in those three games for an average of just under 19 points per game.

The Pirates’ scoring defense ranks 63rd, allowing 25.75 points per game.

Neither offense ranks in the top 50 for points per game, so I think that this will be a defensive battle. Both teams have a turnover margin of -1, but East Carolina has been more careless with the ball, giving it away 22 times this year. I trust Boston College’s defense more because of ECU’s history with other top defenses. I also think turnovers will play a significant role in this game, and I trust Boston College’s ability to limit mistakes.

Under 51.5

As stated, neither of these teams is known for scoring points. They average about 54 points per game between them, but East Carolina’s offense scores an average of about 11 fewer points per game when they face a top-40 scoring defense.

On top of this, East Carolina is a team that likes to control the clock. They rank 11th in the country in time of possession per game, averaging about 32 minutes.

Boston College also likes to run the ball. They call a running play on 59.75% of their snaps, which is the 19th-highest in the nation. They aren’t as successful as controlling the time of possession, but they have the 8th-ranked passing defense in yards per game. So I expect ECU to try to run the ball against the Eagles.

I believe the Pirates will try to control the clock with their running game, as Boston College is a difficult team to throw against. With Boston College also being a run-heavy team, I like the chances of this game going under.

No on Both Teams Getting 20+ Points (+110)

Since I like the under in this game, I will add this alternative bet in because I think there is a chance that Boston College can hold East Carolina to fewer than 20 points.

Both teams like to run the ball, especially Boston College. However, ECU likes to control the clock, meaning both teams could end up with fewer possessions.

Both defenses also play well in the red zone. Boston College ranks 29th in the country in red-zone defense percentage (.769) and 23rd in opponents’ red zone attempts (39).

East Carolina ranks a respectable 36th in red zone defense percentage (.780). On the other hand, Boston College ranks 69th in red zone offense (.837), so the Pirates could potentially limit scoring opportunities.

Make Your Predictions

These are three of my predictions for the Military Bowl. Do you agree with these picks, or would you go the other direction?

Either way, you can place your bets on all of the bowl games here at BetMGM, a safe and reliable site for all of your online sports betting needs. Create an account today for a First Bet Offer of up to $1,000.